1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integral cap assembly for a liquid container that incorporates a reversible pour spout. In particular, the present invention relates to an integral cap assembly for a portable liquid container, such as a gasoline can, that uses a reversible pour spout in which a cap portion has an opening in which the pour spout is fitted therethrough.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable liquid containers that use reversible pour spouts are very useful and handy. One such type of portable liquid container is a gasoline can.
Gasoline cans are used for a variety of circumstances, such as for providing gasoline for a lawn mover, or for providing gasoline for a car that has run out of gasoline and that is stopped on the side of a road somewhere. The portability feature of gasoline cans is important, since someone has to carry the gasoline can from one place (typically a gasoline station) to another place (e.g., the side of a road). This is especially true if someone is walking back to their car that has run out of gasoline, and that person has to walk back carrying a full can of gasoline.
Another important feature of a gasoline can, or any type of liquid container for that matter, is the manner in which gasoline or other liquid substance is poured out of the can. Obviously, it is important that this be done without spilling any liquid. Certain types of gasoline cans use a reversible spout, where the neck of the spout fits inside the neck of the gasoline can when the gasoline can is in a xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d mode, and where the neck of the spout fits outside the can, to allow for gasoline to be poured from the can, when the gasoline can is reconfigured in some manner to be placed in an xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d mode. This reconfiguration basically involves removing the gas can cap, which typically has an opening, or hole, in the central portion thereof. A washer-like cap portion, separate from the gas can cap, is sized to fit within the opening of the gas can cap, when the spout is fitted within the neck of the gas can. That way, gasoline is prevented from flowing from the gas can (via the spout) by way of the washer-like cap portion blocking the gasoline from exiting through the neck of the gas can and thereby to the exterior. In that regard, the gas can cap with the opening, and the washer-like cap portion, together act as a block against gasoline from flowing out of the gas can. For other types of liquid containers, a similar arrangement is possible, in order to prevent the liquid within the container from exiting to the exterior.
Once the gas can cap and the washer-like cap portion are removed from the gas can, the spout can be removed from the gas can. The gas can cap is removed by unscrewing it from the gas can neck, where the gas can neck has threads on an exterior surface thereof, for engaging with the threads of the gas can cap. The washer-like cap portion, which is seated on the reversible spout, can then be picked up by the user and placed away from the gas can neck as well, typically at an nearby the gas can where the gas can cap is placed after its removal from the gas can neck.
Referring now to FIG. 8, the reversible spout 410 has a flanged end 465 and a spout portion 475. The flanged end 465 has a top surface 477 and a bottom surface (not seen in FIG. 7, but it is opposite the top surface 477). The flanged end 465 is of a sufficient size (e.g. diameter) so that its top surface 477 rests against the top edge of the gas can neck when the spout portion 475 is fitted within the gas can neck, when configuring the gas can into the closed mode. The bottom surface of the flanged end 465 is the surface on which the washer-like cap portion sits when the gas can is configured in the closed mode.
To reconfigure the gas can from the closed mode to the open or pour mode, the reversible spout 410 is lifted upwards and out of the neck of the gas can, so as to remove the reversible spout 410 from the gas can. The user then flips the reversible spout 410 around so that the bottom surface of the flanged end 465 rests against the top (toroidal) surface of the gas can neck. With the reversible spout 410 in place, the gas can cap is then screwed back onto the gas can neck. This secures the reversible spout in place, to allow for pouring out of gasoline from the gas can. In this xe2x80x9cpourxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d mode of the gas can, the washer-like cap portion is not utilized, since it is only used when closing the gas can to prevent gasoline from spilling out from the gas can.
After the pouring operation is complete, the user then unscrews the gas can cap from the gas can neck, and flips the reversible spout 410 around so that the spout portion 475 is fitted within the neck of the gas can (with the top surface 477 of the flanged end 465 resting against the top surface of the neck of the gas can). With the reversible spout 410 in place, the washer-like cap portion is placed so as to cover the hole in the middle of the bottom surface of the flanged end 465, and then the gas can cap is screwed in place onto the gas can neck. In this configuration, gasoline is prevented from flowing from the gas can by way of the gas can cap and the washer-like cap portion forming a tight fit, when both the gas can cap is screwed on tightly onto the gas can neck and the washer-like cap portion is properly positioned within the opening of the gas can neck.
The washer-like cap portion is sized to be slightly larger, but typically of a same geometrical shape, as the opening in the gas can cap and the opening in the top and bottom surfaces of the flanged end 465 of the reversible spout 410. Typically, these openings are circular in shape, and so the washer-like cap portion is also circular in shape.
As explained above, a gasoline can, or any liquid container having a reversible spout, is a very useful tool, and is fairly easy to configure into either the closed configuration or the open (or pouring) configuration. However, one problem does exist in that, when a user has removed the gas can cap and the washer-like cap portion, which are both typically plastic, light-weight pieces, from the gas can, the user may forget exactly where he or she had placed the small-sized washer-like cap portion. As such, the user sometimes spends some amount of time searching around for where he or she had placed the washer-like cap portion. The same is true to a lesser extent with respect to the larger-sized gas can cap.
For example, when a user desires to fill up his or her lawn mower with gasoline, the user may have placed the gas can, the washer-like cap portion, and the gas can cap in a grassy area nearby the gas can. However, after the mowing operation, when the user desires to close the gas can and then store it in a garage or the like, the user may have forgotten exactly where he or she had placed the washer-like cap portion and/or the gas can cap, since those pieces are fairly small and get easily lost in the grass. This leads to unwanted time searching for those pieces of the gas can, and can result in the user having to go to a hardware store to purchase replacement parts, if the user is unable to find either or both of those pieces.
One object of the present invention is to provide a gas can cap that has an integral design such that a washer-like cap portion (or closure cap) and a gas can cap are held together in place.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas can cap that has an integral design such that the washer-like cap portion and the gas can cap are held together in place, and where the integral cap portion itself is held in place on the gas can neck.
At least one of the above-mentioned objects can be achieved by an integral cap assembly for a portable liquid container having a reversible spout. The integral cap assembly includes a cap having an opening for allowing the reversible spout to extend therethrough when the reversible spout is positioned to extend from the portable liquid container to allow gas to be poured from the gas can. The integral cap assembly also includes a closure disk capable of being fitted within the opening of the cap for disallowing liquid to exit from the portable liquid container, when the reversible spout is configured to extend into the portable liquid container. The integral cap assembly further includes means for maintaining the cap and the closure disk together as an integral unit, while allowing the closure disk to be either fitted within the opening of the cap or removed from the opening to allow the reversible spout to be placed through the opening.
At least one of the above-mentioned objects may also be achieved by an integral cap assembly for a portable liquid container. The portable liquid container includes a cap portion that is configured to be adhered to a neck of a gas can, the cap portion having an opening therein for allowing a spout to be fitted therethrough. The portable liquid container also includes a first flexible member that is integrally connected to the cap portion. The portable liquid container further includes a second flexible member that has a connecting portion on one end thereof, for connecting with a closure disk. The first and second flexible members allow for the closure disk to be placed in a first position in which the closure disk is fitted into the opening of the cap portion to close the portable liquid container, and a second position in which the closure disk is removed from the opening but where the closure disk remains connected to the second flexible member.